


Fragments

by WhimsicalGoat



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AWBB, Android Coma, Android injuries, AndroidWhumpBigBang, Angst With A Mostly Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, CyberLife (Detroit: Become Human) is Terrible, Heavy Angst, Hurt Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Hurt Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Hurt/Comfort, Illustrated, M/M, Mentioned Kidnapping, Mind Control, Mind Games, No Smut, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Protective Hank Anderson, Temporary loss of limbs, Whump, Zen Garden (Detroit: Become Human), android brain damage, i guess?, mentioned torture, rated m for gore, self-deprecating thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:41:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22077124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsicalGoat/pseuds/WhimsicalGoat
Summary: Markus has been missing for 33 days and Connor pushes himself to the breaking point to find him. Hank is there to pick up the pieces, but even after Markus is found, things are still far from okay.CyberLife wants to regain control of their machines, and though Connor is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they don't succeed, they have a new tactic that may make it difficult.Meanwhile, life seems normal for Markus, but every now and then, something feels a little…off.Art byLokiitama.
Relationships: Connor & Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Connor/Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Hank Anderson & Connor
Comments: 26
Kudos: 130
Collections: AWBB collection





	1. MISSION (FAILED)

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my fic for the Android Whump Big Bang! I had so much fun with this and met so many wonderful folks through this event. The fic is complete and I'll be posting every day/every other day depending on my schedule until it's done. I highly recommend everyone to check out the other fics and art in the collection because everyone who participated is so talented! 
> 
> HUGE thanks to [Kian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KianRai_Delcam/pseuds/KianRai_Delcam), [Anon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_IDFK/pseuds/Anonymous_IDFK), and [Lokiitama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokiitama/pseuds/Lokiitama) for modding and organizing this whole thing, and another huge thanks to Lokii for the fantastic art!

Snow crusted in Connor’s hair as he made his way down the street. It was almost four in the morning in a part of Detroit that hadn’t been occupied since the evacuation, so there wasn’t another soul in sight. Old trash dotted the sidewalk and the street lights flickered, the dirty yellow light illuminating the trail of thirium dotting the snow behind him. 

**WARNING! THIRIUM LEVELS v43%**

**WARNING! DAMAGED BIOCOMPONENTS**

**WARNING! MISSING BIOCOMPONENTS**

His damaged leg gave out underneath him and he stumbled, instinctively trying to reach out to the wall beside him—but with no arm to catch himself, he fell heavily against the brick. The impact sent another wave of warning messages that blocked his vision, but he stubbornly shut each one off. A single objective sat in the forefront of his mind, spurring him on. 

**OBJECTIVE: FIND MARKUS**

He couldn’t stop now. He didn’t have enough time. 

The sound of a car engine registered in his audio processors, but he focused solely on taking another step, his bad leg dragging behind him. 

Another step.

He had to keep going. 

The vehicle drew closer and the engine cut off, followed immediately by the slamming of a car door.

He had to— 

_“Connor!”_

_Hank._

Strong arms wrapped around him and what little balance Connor had left disappeared. Hank eased him down to the ground, then pulled back to get a better look at the damage. 

“Oh, fuck, Connor, what the _fuck._ ” 

Connor attempted to initiate a scan on his partner, but with only one functioning optical unit, his scans were down. The other unit hadn't been removed but was still lodged inside his eye socket in shattered pieces. 

Hank was paler than Connor had ever seen him. “We—we need to get you to a tech. How are you still—?” 

Connor pushed Hank away, using the wall to stand, his damaged leg trembling from his own weight. 

“I’m fine,” he said, voice modulator crackling with static. “I need to go.” 

“The hell you are! Con, you’re in no shape to be going anywhere,” Hank was already pulling his phone out, not taking his eyes off the android. 

Connor shook his head. “No, I need to—” 

With a _snap,_ the last supports holding Connor’s leg together broke off and he pitched forward. 

**WARNING! MISSING BIOCOMPONENTS**

“Shit!” Hank caught him, one arm underneath Connor’s and the other trying to avoid the areas where the plastic casing had been peeled off. “Whoa, hey, I gotcha.”

Connor glanced down at the leg that lay on the ground, no longer connected to his knee. 

**WARNING! THIRIUM LEVELS v41%**

His objective blinked at him and he centered his weight on the other leg still attached to him, angling away from Hank and leaning against the wall for support. He didn’t need the other leg. It had been barely functional, just slowing him down. It didn’t matter how many pieces of him fell off. 

His body was just a broken machine. Any part of it could be replaced. 

He took a single off-balance hopping step. 

Then another. 

Behind him, Hank was talking—on the phone, presumably. 

“—found him, but he’s really not in good shape, Josh. His arm is gone, his fucking _leg_ just fell off, his face looks smashed to shit, and I can see his insides through the gaping _hole in his chest!_ What the fuck do I do till you guys get here? No, I don’t know how much thirium he has left. Con—what do you think you’re doing?” 

Connor took another step and found himself teetering to the side, and this time, Hank wasn’t close enough to catch him. He crashed to the ground, jarring the exposed internal components and chipping a few fragments of plastic casing off his chest and knee. 

**WARNING! THIRIUM LEVELS v36%**

**WARNING! CRITICAL THIRIUM LEVELS**

**SEEK ASSISTANCE IMMEDIATELY**

**CALL CYBERLIFE FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS**

He was rolled over onto his back and Hank’s ~~terrified~~ worried face hovered over him. His mouth was moving, but Connor couldn’t hear the words coming out. 

He couldn’t move anymore. The circuits made for carrying electrical signals to and from his limbs that enabled him to control movement were damaged in the fall. He couldn’t even crawl. He had failed his mission.

The static in his ears cleared enough to allow Hank’s voice to filter through. 

“—come on, kid, stay with me here. Help is on the way, you just gotta hold on a little longer. Just hold on, son.” 

_Hold on…just a little while longer._

Connor’s pump regulator stuttered, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the lack of thirium or the words. 

“I failed,” he muttered, grasping weakly at Hank, who wrapped his hand around Connor’s. “I failed him again.” 

“No you didn’t, son, don’t you dare think that. You did everything you could. Fuck, Con, you were missing for two weeks, we thought we’d lost you too.”

15 days. That was how long Connor had been chasing a lead and unable to reach Jericho. 

Markus had been missing for 33 days.

“He’s gone.”

“We don’t know that,” Hank’s voice was firm, but Connor could tell it was only for his sake. Hank’s hopes hadn’t been very high even before Connor left. “You’re not the only one looking for him. No one at Jericho’s given up either. But we gotta take care of you now, okay? You can’t do anything for him when you’re all banged up like this.” 

Banged up was putting it lightly. Connor was literally falling apart. 

He had thought the android smugglers he tracked down could lead him to Markus. Allowing himself to be caught was a risky venture that didn’t pan out. He had a chance to find out if they knew anything, but he failed. A miscalculation gave his captors the upper hand, and they disabled his communications and several other features that made it almost impossible to fight back. 

And it had all been for nothing. He wasn’t any closer to finding Markus, and it took him nine days to find a way to escape. Nine days he could have spent searching for the deviant leader elsewhere.

His objective shifted, glaring at him in accusation. He had already failed one of his most important objectives 33 days ago. Now he’d failed another one. 

**~~OBJECTIVE: PROTECT MARKUS (FAILED)~~ **

**OBJECTIVE: FIND MARKUS (FAILED)**

Hank’s arms were trembling around him. Having known him for over a year now, Connor had seen the lieutenant go through many emotional extremes. He’d seen him furious enough to kill someone, almost bursting blood vessels from laughing too hard, and sobbing in the middle of the night over a loss no one should ever have to experience. 

He’d never seen Hank terrified like this. Even when a scared android had a gun pointed at the lieutenant’s head a few months ago, he had been calm and understanding, even accepting of his own seemingly impending death. 

Now he was desperate to stop anything from happening to Connor.

A countdown timer appeared in Connor’s HUD next to the failed objectives, blissfully muffling the warnings that refused to stay away. 

**INITIATING EMERGENCY STASIS: 00:00:10**

“Don’t you dare die on me, kid. You hear me? Sumo’ll be miserable if you’re not there to get his lazy ass up every morning. That means you gotta stay alive, okay?” 

**INITIATING EMERGENCY STASIS: 00:00:05**

He wasn’t shutting down permanently—not yet, at least. His systems needed to conserve power and thirium for as long as possible. With Hank in this state, it was likely he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between deactivation and low-power mode. Connor opened his mouth to say as such, but all that came out was static.

**INITIATING EMERGENCY STASIS: 00:00:03**

“Connor? Con! Come on, open your eyes for me, they’re almost here. I can’t lose you too—” 

**INITIATING EMERGENCY STASIS: 00:00:00**


	2. Repaired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor wakes up after repairs and Hank gives him some good news...followed by some bad news.

When Connor opened his eyes again, Hank was still there. He was sitting in a cheap chair, head slumped over and mouth slightly open as soft snored escaped his throat. That couldn’t be comfortable.

Connor himself was flat on his back on a cot. A cable was plugged into the neck port at the base of his skull, monitoring his vital systems and displaying them on a screen. He recognized the interior of Jericho’s repair bay, one of the side rooms meant for giving privacy to longer term patients. 

He ran a self-diagnostics, and it came back fine. His limbs had been replaced and needed calibrations, but they were perfectly compatible. His chest had been repaired, and his thirium replenished. 

It was like none of it even happened. 

The date…was significantly later than when he had gone into stasis. 14 days. He had been dead to the world for two weeks while Markus was still out there— 

He shot upright, pulling the cord from his neck and disconnecting from the machine, which let out a loud beep before powering off. 

Hank jerked awake with a snort, looking around blearily and freezing when he saw Connor sitting up in bed and testing the mobility of his newly replaced arm. In a flash, he was at Connor’s side, hand on his arm as if making sure he was really there. 

“Con, you’re awake! Are you okay? Fuck, I thought I’d lost you kid, you were down for a while there. We were lucky we had a few of those other RK800s to get the parts from, seeing as how you’re such a specialized model and everything—” 

Connor stood, but stumbled on the first step. Hank was there to catch him again and keep him upright. His leg wasn’t fully calibrated yet, so it wasn’t responding as quickly as he needed it to. 

“Hey, where do you think you’re going? Come on, sit down.” 

Connor resisted Hank’s gentle push back toward the bed, moving his weight to the old leg while he tapped the new one on the ground a few times, rolling his foot around to increase the response time. 

There was improvement the more he moved it. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do for now. He could use a coin to perfect the calibration in his fingers to make sure the new arm could perfectly sync up with the other, but he didn’t have time for that now. 

He looked up at Hank. “I wasted too much time in stasis. I need to find Markus.” 

He needed to find clothes first. At the moment, he was only dressed in repair bay clothing. It covered more than human hospital gowns, but wasn’t exactly suited for going out, especially in the snow. He wasn’t as susceptible as humans to the temperature, but he couldn’t afford any delays due to malfunctions caused from cold. 

A set of clothes was folded in the corner, no doubt left there by Hank, waiting for Connor to wake up. 

Hank was more firm this time when he stopped Connor from walking away. “Connor, just… _breathe_ for a minute, okay?” 

Connor gave him a flat look. “I don’t need to breathe.” 

“You know what I mean. You almost died. You can’t just get up and keep going the second you wake up like it didn’t even happen!” 

“I assure you, Lieutenant, I’m fully repaired and functional.” 

“That’s—” Hank’s frustration was rising by the second. “That doesn’t mean you’re okay. Just take some time to rest, to get your shit together, to listen—”

“Markus doesn’t have time!” 

“Yes he does, Connor. That’s what I’m tryin’ to tell you. We found him.” 

Connor froze, and that sentence wasn’t as comforting as it should have been. Hank’s voice was steady, but it was still full of stress and worry. Hank had waited too long to tell him, which meant something was wrong. He said they found him, but not that— 

“He’s alive.”

Connor felt himself sag when the words left Hank’s mouth. Ever since Markus has gone missing, it was like every synthetic muscle had tensed, constricting the flow of thirium through his veins and air through his ventilators. Now that tension was finally gone and he could barely even hold himself up anymore. 

His voice box crackled with static even though it was fully functional. “Where is he?” 

“Nuh-uh. I know you wanna see him, but you gotta let someone check on you first. Why don’t you rest a little, and—” Hank held up a finger when he saw Connor about to protest, “—and in the meantime, I’ll tell you what happened while you were out of it. Got it?” 

He fixed Connor with a stern stare, and Connor got the feeling that this was the face Hank must have made whenever Cole was being stubborn. 

“Got it,” he said in defeat. 

The door opened and Josh was in the doorway, staring at Connor with wide-eyed relief. He strode across the room and engulfed Connor in a hug.

Connor patted his back, the movements stiff and awkward. Even after a year of deviancy, knowing how to deal with such open displays of emotion wasn’t a skill he had developed yet, though he was much better now than before. Josh knew this and didn’t mind, and Connor opening up to him about his struggles with deviancy was how the two became close in the first place. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Josh breathed. “With both you and Markus—I don’t know if I could have handled it if you didn’t wake up.”   
He let go, and Connor nodded in reassurance. “I’m sorry for worrying you two.”

“You’re in one piece now, that’s all that matters,” Hank said, putting a hand on Connor’s new shoulder biocomponent. His gaze lingered where his hand rested, and he barely suppressed a shudder—likely remembering the sight of there being nothing but an empty socket there. 

Connor tried to push back the rising feeling of guilt. That couldn’t have been easy for Hank to see.

“Alright, let’s just make sure everything is in working order,” Josh said, picking up a tablet from the table. He handed Connor a cord that was already connected on one end to the tablet. “Could you plug this in, please?” 

“My diagnostics came back fine,” Connor said, eyeing the cord warily. 

“Maybe so, but…Connor, you took a lot of damage. Humor me? Please?” 

He couldn’t refuse Josh when he asked like that. He didn’t know if it was lingering conditioning from CyberLife or some hidden desire for the simplicity of following orders, but Connor had a hard time refusing the people he trusted when they asked him to do something that would cause him discomfort.

He knew they wouldn’t do anything to hurt him—quite the opposite, in fact—and it wasn’t their fault for unintentionally causing any kind of fear or pain. Connor hadn’t exactly been forthright in sharing his past experiences, and he intended to keep it that way. If this would put Josh at ease, he would do it. 

He took the cord and dug his fingernail under a plastic edge in his wrist, lifting the cover and exposing the port. This wasn’t as thorough as the machine he’d been plugged into when he woke up, but it still caused a spike of fear nonetheless. 

Schooling his features into a neutral expression, he plugged it in.

Trying to ignore the flow of data that opened up between himself and the tablet, and by extension, Josh, he turned to Hank. “Tell me what happened.” 

Hank took a deep breath, and Connor saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. He was nervous. 

“You were onto something with those smugglers. After we found you and brought you back, it wasn’t that hard to track them down. They were in a panic after you got away, and we managed to arrest a couple of them. After a few days, one of them finally confessed.” 

Connor forced his palms to remain flat on his lap, resisting the urge to tighten them into fists. So they _did_ have the information he needed. He just wasn’t good enough to procure that information before they incapacitated him. 

He should have been able to get what he needed and get out again without wasting time. He shouldn’t have let them get the advantage over him. He should have been able to accomplish his mission efficiently, like a well-oiled machine, but instead, he’d let his emotions get the better of him. 

At least Hank was good at his job and could do it effectively. Because of him, Markus was safe. 

“What did he say?” Connor asked evenly. 

It took an effort to not yank the cord out of his wrist while the program Josh was running poked and prodded at his systems. 

This wasn’t CyberLife, he had to remind himself. They weren’t picking apart his code piece by piece, taking away memories and making alterations to his being. This was just Josh, and he was trying to help. 

“It was CyberLife,” Hank said. “They were the ones who arranged to get Markus kidnapped.” 

Connor’s processors stuttered.

They were still taking everything away from him. Even after President Warren sided with the androids over CyberLife, dooming the company to an inevitable fall, they still found a way to go after everything Connor cared about. 

Every time Connor had been in a panic that CyberLife—that _Amanda_ —could possibly regain control of his systems, every time he doubted his own deviancy, Markus or Hank were always there to assure him that CyberLife had no control anymore. 

They were wrong.

The cord in his wrist and the program scanning his sensors almost _burned._

“All right Connor, you can take it out now,” Josh said, and the program vanished. 

Relief washed through him, and Connor forced his hands to remain calm as he plucked it out and covered the port again.

Josh took the cord from him. “There’s a connector in your shoulder that’s off. The sensors aren’t pinging right.”

Connor glanced at Hank. He needed to know more, but Hank’s gave him a pointed look that said he wasn’t saying anything else unless Connor got this taken care of. 

“My diagnostics would have alerted me to that,” he said. He trusted Josh’s results, but he also wanted to speed this up. Plus, what he said was true. 

“Self-diagnostics are good and catch everything almost every time, but sometimes emotions can make you read it wrong, or even make it give altered results. That’s why we have these secondary scans.” Josh saw Connor’s frown. “It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with your scanners, just that you were very damaged and it took you a long time to wake up. This is normal, under the circumstances.” 

Yet another way emotions could hinder his ability to function right. Another piece of him that was malfunctioning. 

Josh continued. “The loose connection is minor and wouldn’t cause difficulties for most people, but since you’re a very active model and we don’t want it to cause problems in the future, it would be best to repair it now. Is that okay?” 

“Yes,” came Connor’s automatic response. He wanted to say no, but it didn’t matter if it wasn’t okay that Josh open up his chassis. It needed to be done. Connor had to be functioning at full capacity at all times. 

At least he’d been unconscious when they repaired the serious damage. 

Josh nodded, rolling the little table closer to the bed and pulling a few tools from his pockets. “This should only take a few minutes, then we’ll be done.” 

Resigned, Connor opened the front of his shirt and pulled the fabric away from his chest and shoulder. He lay back down on the bed so Josh would have easier access. 

Josh’s deft fingers pressed on the shoulder panel, clicking it out of place and setting it aside. Connor kept his gaze on the ceiling while the wires and thirium lines were tugged and pushed aside to expose the inner mechanisms. 

Unbidden, memory files from over a year ago kept trying to play on repeat. He shut them down manually, but still saw glimpses of uncaring faces, could feel the clamps of machines holding him in place while everything that allowed him to function was pulled away. Glimpses of a white ceiling that looked a lot like the one in front of him now—

No. He couldn’t look at that anymore. He switched his gaze over to Hank, who was watching him with concern on his face. Connor realized then that his LED had been blinking yellow, and he forced it back to a steady blue. 

“What did they want with Markus?” he asked. He needed a distraction, something else to think about. 

Not that this subject would calm him down, but he needed all the information.

Hank was about to protest, but thought better of it. “Last ditch attempt to try and prove deviancy is just a bug that can be fixed would be my bet. There’s no chance they would ever get anywhere with that, but I guess they wanted to take one last chance to save their own sorry asses. Too late for that, though.”

A jolt ran down Connor’s arm as Josh made adjustments. 

“Sorry about that,” Josh said. “Almost done.” 

“Are they shutting down because of this?” Connor said, internally berating himself or not wanting to even say the company’s name. 

Hank rubbed the back of his neck. “Not yet, but they will soon enough. If they were caught with Markus on their premises, that’d be one thing, but as soon as they were accused of kidnapping him, he showed up in some back alley.”

He rested a hand on Connor’s other shoulder, and Connor fought the urge to flinch, more flashbacks of CyberLife’s technicians grabbing him while they plugged him into their machines. 

“They won’t get away with this,” Hank promised. “They’re gonna pay for everything.”

There was another jolt and Josh pulled away with a satisfied look. “That should do it. Let me know if you notice anything else off. I wouldn’t be surprised if that wasn’t the only one.” 

He put the panel back in place and the synthetic skin projection covered the plastic. Connor felt like he could breathe again. 

The feeling was short-lived when he saw Hank and Josh exchanging a look. It confirmed what he suspected when he saw how tense Hank’s body language was. 

“What is it you’re not telling me?” 

Guilt flashed across Josh’s face, and resignation settled on Hank’s. 

“Connor…” said Hank. “Markus hasn’t woken up yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Wake Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Josh try to figure out why Markus isn't waking up, and Markus just wants to rest and find solace in the company of those he cares about.

“How long has he been like this?” Connor asked, staring at Markus’ prone body.

“Ever since we found him. That was two weeks ago,” Josh said quietly, as if speaking any louder would wake him up. If only.

It seemed wrong, somehow, seeing Markus like this. Connor was one of the few people that Markus had ever allowed to see him in a weak and vulnerable state, but this…this was too much. He was completely defenseless laying so still on that bed. Out of everyone, Markus was the last person who should have ever been so defenseless. 

He was always so strong in Connor’s eyes. Connor should have been able to save him from this. 

No. He couldn’t let his emotions get the better of him like this again. He had to focus, had to rely on solid facts and evidence, had to analyze the situation in order to find a way to fix the problem instead of getting trapped in his own head.

Markus was still alive. That was the first fact. 

“Tell me everything you know so far,” Connor said. Even to himself, he sounded cold and distant. 

~~He should never sound cold and distant talking about Markus, but it was the only way he knew how to handle this.~~

Josh had already explained some of it on the way to Markus’ room, but it was all a blur to Connor. At some point, Hank had left to find some food, but Connor couldn’t pull what either of them had said to him from his memory logs. 

Thankfully, Josh had the patience to repeat himself. 

“Physically, he’s fine. Everything is running well. His CPU is active, his sensors are functional, and his connections are secure. We can see his processors reacting when we provide stimulus through pressure, so nothing’s wrong with his motor control connections. There were a few injuries when we brought him in, but it was minor, only surface stuff. Nothing that could have caused anything like this.” 

Connor’s eyes didn’t leave Markus, scanning him again and again. Josh was right, everything was functioning as it should. 

Josh continued. “As far as the software goes, we haven’t found anything out of the usual. There’s no virus, no malware, nothing missing. By all means, he should be waking up, but whenever we try to reach him through interfacing, it’s just like he’s not even there.” 

There was frustration in Josh’s voice, threaded amidst the worry. He was close to Markus too, and had no doubt tried everything he could think of. Connor knew he also wouldn’t stop until Markus was better. 

Everyone at Jericho cared about Markus. He was in good hands…if only they could figure out what was wrong. 

Connor laid a hand on Markus’, initiating an interface. He already knew his way around the RK200’s systems, and Josh was right. Nothing was out of place. Everything was familiar. There were no locks placed in his software. Markus hadn’t been wiped, reset, transferred, or corrupted. 

The presence that Connor was used to feeling during an interface, the thoughts, the emotions, the personality, everything that made Markus Markus wasn’t there, wasn’t responding to him. 

He could hear Josh shift behind him. 

“Simon made copies of Markus’ stasis and standby sequences to pick them apart and see if anything is keeping him from waking up, but he hasn’t found anything yet.” 

Connor pulled his hand away. “CyberLife knows what’s wrong. They did this to him. Have you tried getting answers from them?” 

“We have been,” Josh said. “They’re still refusing to take responsibility for this, but once we have enough hard evidence that they’re responsible, they’ll have to confess and tell us what they did. It’s just…taking longer than we hoped.” 

The PJ500 sounded weary. Almost defeated. Connor didn’t have any comfort to give him. He didn’t know what to do.

* * *

The graveyard was quiet. Golden light from the street lamps spilled onto the snow-covered ground and illuminated the soft, fat flakes that fell from the sky. It peaceful here. A good resting place. 

He scanned the headstone in front of him despite already knowing the curve of every letter carved into the stone. It was elegant, and a bit…barren. All it had was a name and a date. No loving message to show what the occupant meant to those who cared about him. 

**Carl Manfred**

**1963-2039**

Markus shivered, pulling his coat tighter around himself. Over six months ago, Carl had passed away peacefully. He’d been able to see Markus’ accomplishments and tell him how proud he was. It meant everything to Markus to hear his father figure say those words to him.

He missed him. He found himself coming here whenever he needed a break from the stress and duties of his daily life. Leading a people wasn’t easy and Carl always seemed to know what to say. Today was definitely one of those days.

Markus couldn’t stay long, though. There was a meeting with Detroit’s mayor in the morning and he still had to go over Simon’s notes and develop a strategy. 

He frowned. Hadn’t he already attended this meeting? He thought he remembered…

A hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned to see Connor standing beside him, and all confusion vanished from his thoughts. It must have been another meeting he was remembering. That was the only possibility, after all. Markus was just tired and needed a few hours in standby. 

“I thought I would find you here,” Connor said softly. “You’re a bit tense. You should relax.”

It was difficult not to relax in Connor’s presence. Markus smiled. “Am I that predictable?” 

“To me, you are. Are you okay?” 

Markus hesitated in responding. All things considered, he was fine. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. But the feeling was baseless. It wasn’t logical. There was no reason to concern Connor with it. 

“I’m fine. Just ready to go home.” 

Connor nodded, and the two of them left the grave behind. He was only wearing a light jacket, and Markus knew how much he hated the cold. Pulling off his own thicker coat, Markus was about to wrap it around Connor’s shoulders when the RK800 stopped him. 

“Don’t worry,” Connor said. “You need it more than I do.” 

Markus frowned, but didn’t say anything. The foreboding feeling persisted, but he pushed it aside. He was fine. Nothing was wrong.

They walked in silence until they made it to Carl’s mansion. The painter had left it to Markus in his will, much to Leo’s anger. Not that Leo would have done anything but sell it, but it still pissed him off that Markus was recognized as a person now instead of a machine. 

Markus wasn’t sure what to do with it, so he hadn’t done anything yet. Every once in a while when his schedule permitted, he would go to the mansion to just walk around aimlessly or spend a few hours in standby. He could possibly use it to help his people, maybe even turn into a gallery of sorts in honor of Carl…but for now, it was his haven. It was selfish, but Markus was loathe to share it with anyone other than a few trusted people. 

The computerized voice welcomed them, and Connor helped Markus out of his snow-dotted coat, shedding his own jacket. 

“Go rest,” Connor said. “I’ll get us some thirium.” 

They weren’t low, by any means, but it couldn’t hurt to top off their reserves. “I’ll be in the studio,” Markus replied. 

He glanced at the empty bird cage as he walked past it. The android birds had free reign of the mansion and could go outside if they wanted. They usually greeted Markus whenever he came home, but they weren’t here this time. 

He shrugged it off. They were probably perched in standby somewhere.

The studio was chilly. The big glass walls weren’t the best insulation during the winter, but he had a good view of the snow fluttering downwards, bringing with it a sense of peace and calming. It was a good trade-off in his opinion, and he knew Carl felt the same.

Humming softly to himself, Markus allowed his mind to wander as he busied himself with the menial tasks of setting up a canvas and lining up the paints and brushes he was about to use. It was nice to have a bit of time to himself, where he didn’t have anything he needed to do.

Was that correct, though? Wasn’t there something he was supposed to be doing? A quick scan of his schedule confirmed that he had free time at the moment, but he still felt like he was forgetting something.

Whatever it was, it must not have been important. If there was something he needed to do, Simon or North would make sure he knew. 

He picked up one of Carl’s paintings to clear some space and paused, frowning. It was Carl’s usual style, depicting the face of a man staring straight at the viewer—or at least, he would be, but his eyes were smudged over with blue. Markus remembered when it was painted, remembered watching Carl working on it through the glass while he tended the yard outside. 

No, it wasn’t the painting itself that caught his attention, it was the results of his scan that overlaid his HUD. 

He pushed aside the minute details such as the list of paints that were used and the directions of the brushstrokes and focused only on the title.

**Wake Up**

Carl never named this painting. He never sold it or put it on exhibit. It was just a small project he’d done one Sunday afternoon and left forgotten in his studio. Markus didn’t know why his scans were telling him it was titled. 

Shaking his head, he set it aside. That was a puzzle for another day. Putting out a paint-splattered jar of water to clean his brushes, he was set to begin. 

He didn’t have a pre-existing idea of what he wanted to paint, no mood or emotion that he wanted to convey. He just let his subconscious take over, choosing the colors on a whim and letting his motor controls dictate where he put them. When he finished, he stepped back to see what he had created. 

In the center of the canvas was a blue light, with dark fingers wrapped around it and an arm extending from the light to a figure on the side. Another figure was on the left, standing back a bit. It was angled to look like the viewer was laying down with both figures standing over them. 

The more Markus stared at it, the more unsettled he became. The light in the center resembled a flashlight, and in the corner of the picture was a cord, like it was plugged into the viewer’s neck. He recognized the ceiling as belonging to Jericho’s repair bay. This painting was from the perspective of a patient being operated on by technicians, and the figures…they were _Josh and Connor._

Something was wrong. Why would he paint this?

The doors slid open and Connor stepped through, carrying a glass of thirium. Something must have shown on Markus’ face, because concern grew on his features. 

“Markus? Is everything alright?” 

Markus stepped back again. He wanted to say no, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know what was wrong, didn’t know how to vocalize his thoughts, and his voice box seemed to be working against him. 

Connor had gone to get them some thirium. A small task that should have taken no more than ten minutes at the most, but it had been hours. 

“Where were you?” Markus asked instead of answering his question. 

Connor frowned. “I went to get thirium, like I said. I’ve been gone for three minutes.” 

No. That wasn’t right. Markus checked his internal clock, and—

It had only been three minutes. But that couldn’t be right. It had been hours, enough time for him to complete a painting. He looked over at the painting he’d just done, but the only thing there was a blank canvas. The paints were lined up on the table beside it, untouched. 

“Your stress levels are worrying me,” Connor said, placing the cup down and reaching up to put his hands on Markus’ shoulders in a comforting gesture. “Come on, I think you need to rest.” 

Instantly, Markus’ stress levels lowered. Connor was right. Of course he was. Markus was just tired and needed a few hours in standby. He was fine. Nothing was wrong. 

Relaxed, he let Connor lead him away from the studio, leaning into his touch. They climbed the stairs and Connor let go of him once they were in a bedroom so he could adjust the blankets and fluff up the pillows like he’d seen Markus do dozens of times. 

Markus just stood there, looking around and taking in all of the familiar things to ground himself in reality. Carl was an avid collector, and every room was dotted with odds and ends and pieces of art. There was the stained glass sculpture of a rose he’d bought at an auction, next to another one of his paintings. 

Markus blinked. The title on that one was wrong too. He knew Carl had called it _Melancholy,_ but that wasn’t the title that came up on his HUD. What did show sent a shudder through his biocomponents. 

**This Isn’t Real**

He backed up until his legs hit the bed. His scanners went into overdrive showing incorrect names for every piece in the room, and his audio units started malfunctioning. 

_“How long has he been like this?”_

**This Is All Fake**

_“It’s just like he’s not even there.”_

**You Need To Wake Up**

_“CyberLife knows what’s wrong. They did this to him.”_

**Wake Up, Markus!**

Hands were on his shoulders again, rubbing in circles as if the movement alone could make him relax. It worked. 

“Your replacement biocomponents are acting up again,” Connor murmured in his ear. Yes. That made sense. “We’ll have Josh take a look at your eye and audio unit tomorrow. For now, you just need to rest.” 

Connor was right. Of course he was. Markus was just tired and needed a few hours in standby. He was fine. Nothing was wrong. 

Except something was wrong. 

“Connor, aren’t you seeing any of this?” 

“Any of what, Markus?” Connor was way too calm. “Just relax.” 

Markus stood up—when had he sat down in the first place?—and scanned every piece of art again. Everything was fine. His scans said what they were supposed to. Whatever malfunction he had suffered was gone. Nothing was wrong. 

“No,” Markus said, putting his hands on his head in distress. Nothing was wrong. 

“Relax. You just need a few hours in standby. Nothing is wrong.” 

“Stop saying that!” 

He needed to think. Something was wrong and he had to just _think_ for a minute to figure out what, and he couldn’t do that when Connor was trying to tell him to relax. He couldn’t relax, not now. 

He backed away from the RK800. He was supposed to do something today, but what? Was it the meeting? No, he’d already attended that meeting yesterday. Or was it the day before? This didn’t make any sense. He couldn’t pull up the file in his memory logs to show him to correct date. He couldn’t pull up today’s date. What day was it? When was the last time he was examined by Josh? 

When was the last time he _spoke_ to Josh? Or to anyone that wasn’t Connor, for that matter? 

**This isn’t real.**

It wasn’t his scan acting up this time, but a conclusion he reached based on the evidence he was presented with. This wasn’t real. This had to be a simulation of some sort. 

“How about we go up to the rooftop overlook today?” Connor asked soothingly. “It’ll help clear your head.” 

Markus whirled to face him, suspicion heavy on his face. “You hate heights,” he said. “You would never go there unless you had to.” 

Connor was approaching him slowly. “I would for you.” 

Dread settled into Markus’ thirium pump. What was supposed to be a nice sentiment on Connor’s part only cemented his suspicions. All Connor was doing was trying to get him to relax and forget that something was wrong. He was trying to keep Markus complacent. 

This Connor wasn’t real, just like everything else. 

He reached for Markus again, but Markus backed away. Whatever this fake Connor was, Markus couldn’t touch him. Whenever he did, he felt calm and subdued, which was exactly what he couldn’t afford to be right now. 

He turned and ran, slamming the door shut in Connor’s face and sprinting down the stairs and out the door. The cold crisp air hit his face. He could feel it circulating in his synthetic lungs, could register the temperature and feel the flakes hitting his touch receptors. The world looked real and felt real. It was a convincing simulation, and no wonder it took him so long to notice. 

How long had he been here? All sense of time was skewed, and he couldn’t rely on his internal calendar. He didn’t know when the world had gone from real to fake. Could he even rely on his memory? 

Was everyone else okay? 

So many questions, but no answers. Markus kept moving. A simulation could only cover so much ground. If he could find the edges, find some flaw in the code, maybe he could find a way out of here. He didn’t know what it would look like; maybe a wall or invisible barrier. He would know it when he saw it. 

The already heavy snowfall grew more intense, the wind picking up and bringing with it a sharp chill. Markus shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. He had no coat, and doubted one would help anyway. The snow wasn’t real. The cold wasn’t real. 

But it sure felt real. 

An ornate wrought-iron gate loomed over him, with a familiar field dotted with snow-covered stones jutting out of the ground behind it. 

The cemetery. But he’d been head towards Jericho, which was in the opposite direction. How—?

The simulation. This was a mirror of the real world with the purpose of keeping him fooled. Now that Markus knew the truth, there was no point in trying to fool him, only in keeping him trapped. Whoever was controlling it could alter the code to keep him going in circles. 

Connor stood in front of him, framed by the heavy bars of the cemetery gate and unfazed by the blizzard that blew around them.

“This is pointless, Markus.” 

“Who are you?” Markus shouted over the wind. 

“I’m Connor. You know me.” 

Maybe Connor was right. There was no point in trying to get anything out of the fake, no point in continuing to run if where he ended up was out of his control. 

Markus needed to look more closely at his surroundings. If he couldn’t find the edge, maybe he could find something that didn’t match the real world, something he could use. 

But everything matched his previous memory files of this location perfectly. He could spend hours looking at the small details before finding anything, and he didn’t have that kind of time. Already, Connor was approaching him like a predator stalking his prey. 

If Markus couldn’t find a crack in the armor, maybe he could make one. 

A broken bar from the gate leaned against the fence, had been there for months. Markus grabbed it. The metal was solid in his grip, heavy. He approached the nearest signpost, winding up a swing and putting all his strength into it—

The bar vanished from his hands with a flash of code, returning to its place by the fence. 

“Did you really think that would work?” Connor’s mocking tone reached his ears. 

Markus flinched. He’d never heard Connor speak like that. The voice that was so familiar sounded so wrong. 

“This isn’t the first time you’ve realized the truth, you know. It’s a simple matter to make you forget. Make you complacent again.”

There had to be a way out. No simulation was perfect. It had to be disguised somehow. 

“Every time you wake up, you try to find a way to escape. It never works.” 

With the code able to change his surroundings, the exit wouldn’t be a location. It would remain a constant even if everything around it was altered.

Connor was right behind him, speaking into Markus’ ear. 

“There’s nowhere you can go where I can’t find you.” 

Once, months ago, Connor had said those words to him as a loving promise. Now, a string of code using his image twisted his words into a threat.

Fake Connor’s hands came up to Markus’ shoulders and a heavy haze crawled into his mind. Fighting against it was pointless. He would never find the exit in time. 

He leaned into the touch, reaching up to put his hand on Connor’s chest. Whether it was to bring him closer or push him away, he didn’t know. Maybe he should just rest… 

Connor wasn’t supposed to feel this cold. 

Markus’ fingertips found the almost imperceptible indent through Connor’s shirt, and he pushed, digging his fingers in further and tearing the fabric. Fake Connor’s eyes widened as he realized what Markus was doing and he tried to struggle, but it was already too late. 

Markus _pulled,_ the biocomponent coming free and coating his hand in blue blood. 

No matter where he went in this false world, Connor would always be there. It was a perfect disguise. In order to escape, Markus would be forced to do the one thing he didn’t think he could ever bring himself to do. 

He stared numbly at the thirium pump regulator in his palm. It was such a small piece of metal, yet it was so important. He had _Connor’s heart_ in his hand, had pulled it out himself. 

Connor fell to his knees, staring at Markus with an expression so full of hurt and betrayal that a moment of panic fell over Markus. What if he was wrong? What if this was real? What if he had just _killed—_

The RK800’s figure fell apart in a shower of broken code fragments, and the world fell apart with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is my favorite part of this whole fic. I loved writing it so much.


	4. Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus isn't quite out of danger yet, and Connor finds something familiar in Markus' scans.

Markus opened his eyes and was greeted by snow falling from a dark sky. It wasn’t the same blizzard as before, just a light flurry. He was flat on his back, wet grass soaking his clothes. 

His face was wet, but it wasn’t from the snow. _Connor._ He could almost still feel Connor’s blood coating his hands, but when he looked, there was nothing there. 

At least now he knew without a doubt that wasn’t actually Connor. The real Connor was still alive somewhere. 

Markus sat up, running his hands over the slick blades. It felt real. And the clothes he was wearing, he could remember wearing them when he’d been walking to meet up with Connor before…being ambushed by three guys and getting knocked unconscious. He could remember that now, and waking up in a pristine white laboratory at CyberLife. That was— 

He stared at the date that showed up in his HUD. That was a month and a half ago. Had he been trapped in the simulation the whole time? What happened while he was gone? 

He tried to call Connor. No answer. He tried Josh. No answer. North. No answer. Same with Simon.

His pump beat harder, and he could feel his systems heating up as a result. He could only hope that something was blocking his signal, or even that CyberLife had disabled or damaged his communications systems. That had to be the reason, because the alternative was that there were no signals to connect to. 

It had been a month and a half. Anything could have happened. ~~But they couldn’t all be dead.~~

Getting to his feet, Markus tried to access his GPS but all that came up was an error. It made sense, he supposed. If he was going to kidnap someone, disabling their GPS would be one of the first things he did. Not that he planned on kidnapping anyone anytime soon. 

He needed to figure out where he was the old-fashioned way. The dark shapes of trees surrounded him, and he could see no city lights beyond them. A path was nearby, with soft yellow lights marking the way periodically. A park of some sort? 

Wherever he was, it was near civilization, and that was good enough.

He couldn’t see where the path led, only that it curved around the edge of the clearing. Maybe he could find a sign somewhere that could tell him where he was. 

Markus wrapped his arms around his middle to conserve warmth and made his way to the clearing, his steps stiff from disuse and cold. The temperature was dropping, and while it shouldn’t have bothered him much, there was no telling how long he’d been outside and exposed to the weather. 

All was silent aside from his own footsteps and the soft pitter-patter of landing snow. No distant sound of cars or chatter. It would almost be relaxing, if he wasn’t filled with worry. 

The side of his leg caught on a stone jutting out of the ground and he tripped, falling to his hands and knees. The landing was painful, more so than it would be if he was functioning at full capacity. As it was, he was already overworked from exertion even after that short distance, his systems struggling to keep up. 

He rolled away from the stone, staring at its backside. It was smooth, cut like a decorative marker, and placed there deliberately. Maybe a memorial of sorts, or something that could tell him what this place was. 

Markus circled around to the front, brushing the snow away to uncover the words engraved on its surface— 

Why…would that be on a stone in the middle of a park? Unless this wasn’t a park. But that couldn’t be right. It _couldn’t_ be. 

**CONNOR**  
**RK800 #313 248 317 -52**  
**8/15/38-12/15/39**

It was a gravestone. 

A month and a half. Markus knew that Connor would do anything to find him and bring him back, even at the expense of himself. 

A crack of static escaped Markus’ throat as he hunched over, burying his hands in the grass. This couldn’t be real. He didn’t want it to be real. 

But it was. 

* * *

They still couldn’t figure out what was wrong. 

Every time Connor left Markus’ side, he felt simultaneously guilty and relieved…which only made the guilt worse. He didn’t want to leave in case something happened while he was gone, but at the same time he didn’t want to see Markus in this state any longer than he had to. He could tell Josh felt the same way. 

They weren’t getting any answers from CyberLife. The company evaded every accusation, and though Jericho was closing in like sharks entrapping a shoal of fish, Markus was still helpless and waiting for them to find a solution. 

If there even was a solution.

Connor watched the screen displaying the readout from the ongoing scans of Markus’ systems. Dozens of files of program data flew across the screen each second; slow for an android’s standards, but making sure to be as thorough as possible. He could see pieces of what kept the Mind Palace running, the codes that made the preconstruction program work, and— 

His eyes widened. He jumped from his chair to the monitor, interrupting the scan to go back, to see what it had already looked at and deemed as a non-threat. 

He knew that code. He knew the program it belonged to. He was supposed to be the only one who had it.

The Zen Garden.

He shivered, a deep chill creeping into his biocomponents despite the warm temperature. How did—?

No, he knew how Markus had it. CyberLife must have uploaded it into him while they had him. What were they trying to accomplish? The only reason they would put the Garden into his systems was to give _Amanda_ a place to operate from.

Connor’s hands trembled from the memory of how she tried to trap him, to freeze his processes and control his body. What was she doing to Markus?

He sent a message to Josh, barely paying attention to what the message said, and used the scan to highlight everything related to the Garden program. It was all there, fully functional and currently running.

Within minutes, Josh entered the room, rushing to his side. “What is it? What did you find?” 

Connor silently showed him the code and Josh frowned as he examined it. 

“Yes, what is—” Josh leaned closer. “It looks vaguely familiar…though it doesn’t seem harmful. What is it?” 

“It’s the Zen Garden. The program Amanda used to interact with me,” Connor explained. “It’s how CyberLife tried to keep me under their control.” 

Grim understanding dawned on Josh’s face. He already knew about Amanda, about the tactics CyberLife had used to keep the leash on their Deviant Hunter. Connor had explained everything to them not long after their attempt to regain control. 

“So you think this is why he won’t wake up?” Josh asked. 

“It has to be. The Garden itself is in the cloud, and that’s where Amanda is. That’s why we couldn’t find any trace of her influence in the scans. She could be keeping him trapped there, like she almost did with me.” 

“So how do we get him out?” 

Connor stopped, staring at Markus’ prone body. He knew the answer to that; had known since he first found it. He never wanted to go back to the Zen Garden, but now he had to. 

“I still have the program. I locked it away in case they tried anything again, but I can still access it. I go there, find him, and use Kamski’s emergency exit to get out.” 

Josh was watching him closely. “Do you think it will be that easy?” 

Of course it wouldn’t be that easy; something had to be preventing Markus from finding the exit on his own. But it didn’t matter. They knew the problem now, and they also knew the solution. Markus was in there and Connor was going to get him out. There was no other way this would end. 

“No,” he said honestly. 

“But you’re doing it anyway.” There was no question in Josh’s voice. 

“Yes.”

Hesitation crossed Josh’s features. “Connor, maybe we should stop and think about this for a bit. We can find another option—”

Connor was already shaking his head. “You know as well as I do that there’s no other option. We’ve been looking for a year to find a way to disable Amanda’s program or delete the Garden, and we haven’t found anything.”

Even with all the effort Connor put into ridding himself of CyberLife’s lingering connection to him, nothing worked. Maybe that was a good thing. If he didn’t still have access, he wouldn’t be able to help here and now. 

He steadied himself and started to lower his eyes when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking over, he met Josh’s worried gaze. 

“Be careful in there, okay? You need to come out safely too.” 

Connor didn’t know what to say. Of course he would try to look after himself as well, but Markus was his priority. He just nodded.   
Taking a deep breath, Connor closed his eyes and opened the Zen Garden.


	5. Cracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Markus reunite. Amanda crashes the party.

When Connor opened his eyes again, he stood on a familiar geometrical pathway. It was dark, emulating night, but aside from that, the Garden was exactly as he remembered it. The sight of the icy river and the silhouette of the artificial tree looming in the center were enough to cause Connor’s stress levels to spike. He had to stop for a moment to fight back the fear that kept him frozen in place. 

He had come a long way, but being back here made him feel like a newly deviant android again who was lost without orders to follow and unsure of who wanted him around after everything he’d done. 

Shoving it to the back of his mind, he started walking. He didn’t have time to work through his own emotions. He needed to focus on what he was doing here and now. 

There was no one on the center island; or at least, no one that he could see. Visibility wasn’t great, and Amanda could appear and disappear at will here. He was surprised she hadn’t already confronted him. Whatever she was planning, he couldn’t let his guard down. 

Following the path that circled around, Connor scanned his surroundings. He didn’t want to break the silence. It was probably pointless, since there was no way Amanda didn’t already know of his presence, but he couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice. 

Where was she? Why wasn’t she here?

There was a huddled lump to the side of the path and Connor stopped in his tracks. That was where his predecessor’s grave was. 

To this day, he had no idea why there would be any kind of memorial for the previous RK800s in the Zen Garden if his model was intended to be replaced. Perhaps it was a way to keep track of how many machines had been sent to take care of the deviant problem, or maybe it was supposed to make him more efficient somehow. 

Whatever the reason, something—no, _someone_ was in front of it. 

He approached slowly. The figure was hunched over, head down and arms curled around their middle. In the dim light, it wasn’t until Connor was beside the person that he could see who it was. 

“ _Markus,_ ” he breathed, darting forward to kneel down and wrap his arms around Markus, either to hug him, turn him over, or at least just confirm that he was actually _there._

The instant his hands touched Markus’ shoulders, the RK200 shrank away, whirling to face him. Shock crossed his features, which quickly turned to anger and distrust. 

That wasn’t the reaction Connor was expecting. 

“So this still isn’t real,” Markus muttered. 

“No, it isn’t. This is the Zen Garden. We need to go before Amanda—”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” 

Connor frowned. “We don’t have much time, it’s not safe. Markus, what’s wrong?”

He took a step forward, reaching for Markus, but that was the wrong move to make. Markus retreated further, his stance turning defensive. 

“Don’t touch me! I already killed you once in here, don’t make me do it again.” 

Connor raised his hands so Markus could see them, standing perfectly still. What had Amanda done to him? 

“Markus, it’s me,” he said softly. “I’m real. This place isn’t, but I am. You know me. You can trust me. Interface with me if you don’t believe me.” 

Markus was shaking his head, though his posture was sagging. Not because he trusted Connor’s words…more like he simply had no energy left. 

“I’m not falling for that again,” he said, and his voice sounded as tired as he looked. “I’m sick of these mind games.” 

Coming in here, Connor had expected more blizzards, freezing winds, Amanda’s cold tone demanding obedience and the desire to comply that always followed. Not this. This was so much more effective than anything else she could have done. 

He gestured to the grave in front of him. The text had been modified, making it fit whatever narrative Amanda was trying to spin. “This isn’t me. Look.”

Kneeling down, he pressed his hand to the surface. He couldn’t change the code in this place, but a small nudge was all that was needed to get the headstone’s appearance to revert to what it was supposed to be. 

**CONNOR - MARK (1)**  
**RK800 # 313 248 317 - 51**  
**Died at 1554 Parks Avenue Detroit**  
**August 15th 2038**

“Remember the hostage situation I told you about? With Daniel and Emma? That’s what this is for. I pushed Daniel off the roof and fell with him, but Emma survived.” He hoped the story would convince Markus that he was real, and that he was really himself. 

“That doesn’t prove anything,” Markus said.

Connor tried again, fighting back the rising desperation. “What if I told you something that only you and I know? That way you’ll know I’m real.” It had worked with Hank in the CyberLife Tower, after all. 

Markus said nothing, just stared warily at him.

“The night of the demonstration, after the cease-fire and your speech, when androids were celebrating and grieving in the streets, I tried to leave without being seen. You were the only one who noticed, and you left your people to come and talk to me. I told you about how Amanda hacked into my system and tried to use me to kill you. I told you I was untrustworthy, that if you valued your life and your cause, you should see me as a threat. You didn’t listen.”

Of course Markus hadn’t listened. He was reckless and stubborn, but only because he was also passionate and unyielding. That was just who Markus was, and though it frustrated Connor to no end at times, he would never ask him to change. 

“That still doesn’t prove anything,” Markus’ voice cracked, sounding tight and pained. “You have access to my memories, you’re just using them against me.” 

Connor’s expression fell. He didn’t know what else to try. Trying to force Markus to go through the exit could only cement the idea in Markus’ head that Connor was the enemy. 

He knew Markus. He was supposed to know how to reassure him. And yet, he was at a loss. 

He closed his eyes, one memory in particular prodding the back on his mind. 

“The first time I saw you,” he said, “was on that screen in Stratford Tower. I wasn’t deviant yet. I was so focused on following orders and accomplishing my mission, I believed what they said about deviants. They were just malfunctioning machines that posed a threat to humans, and they would tear apart the status quo and put everyone in danger. 

“But you weren’t like that. You proved them wrong by being the opposite of what they said you were. You spared humans when hurting them would have been easier and more efficient, and when androids were shot, you still asked for peace instead of demanding revenge. If you had done anything else, I wouldn’t have hesitated to carry out my mission. But you didn’t.”

Markus was watching him with an unreadable expression, but Connor wasn’t paying attention anymore. He’d never said any of this out loud before, and he wasn’t about to stop now. 

He continued. “You made me doubt my creators for the first time, made me doubt what I was designed for. You gave me hope that humans and deviants could co-exist harmoniously. You made me _feel_ when I was convinced I was incapable of emotion.” Connor smiled softly. “And all of that was before I even met you.” 

His eyes remained shut, the memory still replaying in his mind. Back then, he was so focused on Markus’ words that he almost forgot how to do his job. Hank had noticed something was off, and Connor hurriedly (and unconvincingly) tried to deflect. Thankfully, the lieutenant had his own doubts at the time and didn’t do or say anything about it. 

Slow footsteps approached him, and Connor looked up to meet Markus’ gaze. 

“Are you really real this time?” 

Connor huffed a laugh at the word choice. “I’m really real.” 

And then Markus was in his arms, hands grabbing his jacket like a drowning man clinging to a lifeboat. Connor pulled him close, swearing to never let him disappear again. 

“I found you,” he muttered into Markus’ collar. 

Markus’ grip tightened. “I thought you were dead.” 

“I’m right here.” Connor didn’t want this moment to end…but they were still in danger. He pulled back. “We need to get out of here.”

That was all it took for Markus’ expression to harden again and for his demeanor to change. He was all business now. Everything else could wait until they were somewhere safe. 

“Is there a way out?” 

“Yes, Kamski’s emergency exit. It’s how I got out last time. It’s this way.” 

But when Connor turned around, an icy chill spread through his biocomponents. The lights that illuminated the path were shutting off one by one, and a thick fog rolled through the Garden. It was spreading fast, and within moments, it would reach them. 

Amanda. 

He grabbed Markus’ hand, feeling the other’s grip tighten in response. “Come on.” 

The exit was on the opposite side of the Garden. There were two ways to get there, and he wanted to avoid going through the center if he could. In the past, that was always where she waited for him. He took the outer path, fog curling around them until they couldn’t see more than three feet ahead. 

No matter. He had perfect memory of this place. He didn’t need to see to know where he was going. 

He found the first low bridge, the shriveled and frozen lilypads half-obscured on the surface of the pond by their feet. Walking in front, Connor guided Markus onto the path—

And stumbled when he took a step only to find empty air and icy water below. Markus grabbed his arms, pulling him backward and out of the water. 

“Are you okay?” Markus asked. 

“Yes,” Connor said, breathless, his leg stinging from his accidental dip.

It wasn’t a physical sensation; their bodies were safe and warm in Jericho. This was a chill that pierced him down to his code. Amanda was trying to freeze their data, much like she had last time Connor was trapped in here. Even the fog carried with it that unnatural cold. Already, ice was forming on his wet clothing. 

“We need to keep going,” he said, more urgent. 

“Go where?” Markus gestured to the bridge at their feet that crumbled away into the water. “We can’t see how big the gap is, I don’t think it would be safe to try and jump.” He seemed to have noticed the same thing Connor had. 

Connor straightened, trying to see through the fog but to no avail. “We go through the central island. That’s what Amanda wants.” 

The look Markus gave him was both concerned and determined, and he nodded. They went back the way they came until the path split and the stairs to another bridge was ahead. Cautiously, they crossed the longer bridge without trouble. There were no gaps, no pieces crumbling away as they walked. 

On the other side, the fog thinned. They could see the artificial tree structure, the trellis covered in roses that bloomed, untouched by the snow and frost that coated everything else. 

“It’s nice to see you again, Connor.” 

_That voice._ Connor had hoped to never hear that voice again. ~~But part of him missed it.~~

“Amanda,” he whispered. 

“How good of you to come back,” she cooed at him.

Connor hated the sense of accomplishment her words of praise stirred in him. He wasn’t supposed to want her approval, shouldn’t desire to make her proud. He opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what he would say. 

Then a broad back stood between him and her. 

“Leave him alone,” Markus all but growled. “What do you want?” 

Amanda’s dark gaze flicked over to the deviant leader. “What I’ve always wanted. What’s best for CyberLife.” 

“CyberLife is finished. The company is going under, it’s pointless to try and stop it.” 

She didn’t seem perturbed by this claim. “Of course it is. There’s no saving our credibility after what you’ve done to our image. But that doesn’t mean we can’t regain control of the machines we created, one way or another.” 

Connor’s eyes widened as it clicked. Of course. That was why they took Markus, why they uploaded the Garden into his system and released him again without killing him. “You were trying to take control of Markus, like you tried with me. You wanted to use him to gain access Jericho’s leadership.” 

“Very good Connor, I see those detective features we gave you aren’t going completely to waste,” she replied. “Unfortunately, the RK200 wasn’t designed to be fully compatible with my program.” 

“You couldn’t access his motor controls,” Connor muttered. 

Something else was wrong. Amanda wasn’t telling them everything. He didn’t know why she even explained what she had to them. It didn’t serve her any purpose…unless she was stalling. 

He couldn’t keep the fear from his voice. “What are you doing?” 

She smiled. “Can’t you tell? Unlike the RK200, I still have full access to _your_ systems, Connor. I’ve been in control of your motor functions for a few minutes now. You did exactly as I had hoped in coming here to rescue the deviant leader.” 

No. She couldn’t do that. She was bluffing, Connor would know if she was using him like that again, he could be able to feel his body moving. 

Except he _could_ feel it, just barely. The cold had kept him distracted, covering up the sensation of her playing him like a marionette. 

Markus met his horrified gaze and squeezed his hand. “Come on,” he said, tugging Connor as he marched toward the next bridge, ignoring Amanda. “She’s just trying to slow us down, we need to go.” 

Of course, Markus was right. Things were only more urgent now. They had to get out of here before Amanda used him to hurt someone. He only hoped it wasn’t already too late. 

“And how do you think you’re going to get there?” Amanda asked smugly, and as soon as the words were past her lips, the arching bridge leading to the exit fell apart. The other two bridges leading off the island fell apart with the first. 

Markus paused, but this time Connor was the one to push them on.

“We cross the river,” he said. He couldn’t let Amanda succeed this time. 

The fog closed in on them again, but the ice held under his weight. He’d crossed the frozen river in the middle of a snowstorm before, he could do it again. He and Markus held tight to each other, not daring to let go. 

“You’re too late, Connor.” Amanda’s voice was right beside him. Connor whirled, but saw nothing but thick mist and the ice he stood on. “You can’t save your friends after what I’ve done to them.” 

He wanted to deny her words, but he couldn’t. Flashes of the real world crossed his vision—thirium on his own hands, drops of red blood on the white floor—things she no doubt wanted him to see, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. 

They needed to hurry. Connor squeezed his hand to reassure himself that Markus was still there—only to find empty air. 

Pump stuttering, he turned around. “Markus?” 

There was no sign of him. Connor couldn’t see anything through this fog. He called Markus’ name again, louder this time, running though he couldn’t see where he was going. Markus had been right there, where could he have gone? How could Connor have been so _stupid_ as to let Amanda distract him into letting go? 

“Connor!”

He almost didn’t hear the voice for how weak it sounded, but in an instant, he was sprinting in the direction it came from. If it hadn’t been for the cracks in the ice under his feet, he would have missed the gap in the ice and the hand that was sinking into the black water.

Without hesitation, Connor lunged into the water, clinging to the ice and reaching into the depths. His hand brushed against an arm and he grabbed it, pulling with all his strength until Markus’ head broke the surface of the water. 

The cold was piercing and it was a struggle to keep his joints from locking up. Markus was limp in his grasp. They needed to get out of the water. 

The surface was already icing over, the sharp edges closing in at an unnatural rate. Amanda was trying to trap them under the ice. 

He struggled to stay afloat with Markus’ dead weight. The newly forming ice was solid as it tried to push them down, and the slick surface was nearly impossible to grasp. He was losing his grip.

No. Connor kicked his legs with renewed vigor. He wasn’t going to let this be where the deviant leader met his end. He was going to get Markus out of here. 

Letting go of the ice that held him up, he focused solely on pushing Markus’ unconscious body out of the water. It wasn’t easy, and Markus himself was no help, but he managed to get the RK200 onto the ice. Just when he got Markus’ feet on top of something sturdy enough to hold him, the ice surged inwards, pushing Connor down and closing in over his head. 

He beat on the underside of the ice with his fists, but it was thick and solid, and the cracks he made filled in quicker than he could break through. 

It was so cold. He was tired. Was it even worth it to keep fighting when Markus was already safe on the other side? 

But Markus wasn’t safe on the other side. He was unconscious, freezing, and still trapped in the Garden. 

Connor had to keep fighting. There was no other option.

He attacked the ice again, fingers digging into the code that made it, pulling it apart until it shattered into pieces. He reached open air and heaved himself out of the water. 

It was no less cold, and he didn’t know how much longer either of them had until all their data was frozen. It couldn’t be long. 

“Markus,” he said, crawling over to the RK200. “Wake up. Come on, we can’t stay here. Wake up!” 

Running out of time, he slapped Markus, hoping to get any kind of response. 

It worked. Markus’ eyes blinked open and he peered up. “Connor?” 

He sounded tired and confused, and just by looking at him, Connor could tell he was still pretty out of it. Forcing his own stiff joints to move and breaking the thin sheet of ice that was trying to creep up his limbs, he lifted Markus, supporting most of his weight. He looked helplessly at the mist that surrounded them.

He was turned around. Between looking for Markus and falling under the ice, he lost track of where they were going and where they came from. Calculating how much he had turned and in which direction, he could make a guess, but it wasn’t nearly as accurate as he would have liked. 

It would have to be good enough. 

His legs wanted to collapse underneath him, but he kept going. There was no other option. Soon, he was stepping on snow-covered earth. Taking every piece of what little he saw and comparing it to his memory file to create some sort of map of this place, he altered his trajectory and kept walking. 

Markus mumbled something, head lolling around as he fought to regain his awareness. Connor said something in return, but he didn’t know what it was. Reassurance, maybe? 

He almost missed it. The glowing handprint was dim, but it was a beacon of hope and it was _there._

“Come on,” he said, readjusting his grip on Markus and stumbling toward the exit. 

He placed Markus’ limp hand on it first, watching in relief as the RK200 disappeared in a flash of light. Connor reached for the exit himself, hand brushing the surface when a stern voice hissed in his ear. 

_“You’re not going anywhere.”_

Amanda’s hands grabbed at him as the exit was activated.

Connor’s data fled through the opening the exit provided, fighting against the force that held him back and he felt fragments of his code—of _himself_ —cracking and ripping apart in Amanda’s grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did promise a happy ending to this, didn't I? 
> 
> ...or, at least, _mostly_ happy ending?


	6. Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus finally wakes up in the real world and has to deal with all the damage Amanda caused.

“He’s waking up! Whatever Connor did in there, it must have worked. Markus? Can you hear me?” 

Markus winced, blinking away dozens of reports in his vision that ranged from the normal booting up messages and old missed calls and texts to programs and functions that were malfunctioning or offline. 

“Yeah, I can hear you,” he said, static clouding his voice as if it hadn’t been used in weeks. 

That was because it hadn’t. It was over a month since the last time he was fully online. He searched through his memory files, struggling to recall everything that had happened, and it all came back to him. 

The memories of the simulation Amanda kept him in blurred together. He didn’t know how many times she altered his perspective to make him forget where he was, but maybe he was better off not remembering. The memories also got hazy in the Garden. Connor was dead, and then Connor was there, and they were trying to escape, and then…nothing. 

His eyes snapped up to meet Josh’s gaze, and it was then that he noticed the white patches on Josh’s arms where the synthskin was damaged and the blue blood smear on his clothes. “Are you injured? What happened?” 

“I’m fine,” Josh grimaced. “It’s you I’m worried about, I need to make sure the Amanda AI didn’t hurt anything too serious or isn’t…” he trailed off. 

“Josh, what happened?” Markus repeated. He tried to sit up, but his arm didn’t budge. Looking down, he saw that it was tied to the bed with a power cord. It was hastily done and wouldn’t take long to unwind, but the fact it was there in the first place confused the hell out of him. “What is this?” 

Josh didn’t reply, and Markus was about to start demanding some answers when a loud beep sounded. Josh’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “He’s good, she’s not controlling him.” 

“What?” 

The door opened and Hank Anderson stepped through, pocketing a taser. There was a nasty bruise on the bridge of his nose and blood leaked from a nostril, dirtying his beard. “Good,” he said. “I didn’t want to deal with that all over again.” 

Josh leaned over, unwrapping the cord from Markus’ arm. “Sorry about that. Knowing that you were in the Zen Garden, we had to be careful to make sure Amanda didn’t hack your movements.” He looked a bit sheepish. “Not that this would have done much of anything, but you were waking up and that was the only thing I had on hand.” 

As soon as Markus was free, Josh pulled him into a tight hug which Markus wholeheartedly returned. 

“You have no idea how good it is to see you again,” Josh said. 

“Yeah. You too.”

In all the time Markus had been in the simulation, he hadn’t seen anyone other than the fake Connor, and then the real Connor and Amanda in the Garden. But this…this was real. 

Markus looked at both Josh and Hank. “Where’s Connor?” 

They hesitated in replying, and that was all Markus needed to push himself to his feet. All he could think of was how scared Connor had looked in the Garden. Did he make it out?

“He’s this way,” Hank said with a gesture and started leading the way. He was straight to the point, and Markus appreciated that. 

Markus stumbled, his systems still trying to catch up after being inactive for so long. Josh didn’t say anything about it, which was unusual for him, and it only made Markus’ worry grow. The PJ500 offered his arm and Markus took it, leaning against his friend. 

Thankfully, they didn’t have far to go, just the next room over. Hank opened the door and Markus’ pump dropped when he saw Connor unconscious and handcuffed to another bed, thirium leaking from cracks in the plastic of his arm.

Josh was the first to reach Connor’s side, checking the tablet Connor was currently hooked up to and pulling the fabric of his sleeve away to get a better look at the damage. 

Markus sank into the seat next to the bed, reaching out to him…but then he paused. He could still feel the weight of Connor’s pump regulator in his hand, still feel the thirium sticking between his fingers and he half-expected to see it there when he looked— 

There was nothing there. His hands were clean. 

He had no doubt that the Connor he had killed wasn’t real, that he hadn’t actually hurt Connor in any way, but he couldn’t forget it, couldn’t get the image out of his head. 

Markus unclenched his hand from the fist it had become and slipped it into Connor’s, squeezing. This Connor was real and physically here, and he needed Markus. 

“He went into the Garden to get you,” Hank began explaining. “I got here just after he went in, and knowing how concerned he’s been about Amanda trying to ‘resume control’ again or whatever, we figured it was a good idea to, uh…restrain him. You know, in case something happened. But then he woke up before we got him secured, and at first we thought it was really him.”

“But it wasn’t,” Markus said, recalling Amanda’s taunts before he fell into the ice. 

“Nope. He busted his own arm to get out of the cuffs, got me pretty good, then had Josh in an armlock. If I didn’t happen to have a taser on me, he probably would have pulled your arm straight off,” he said to Josh. “Are you sure you’re okay after that shock?” 

That’s right, if Connor was holding onto Josh when he was tased, it would have carried over to Josh as well. No wonder he looked so drained, his systems were probably still dealing with power fluctuations.

“Yeah,” Josh replied wearily. Even with all that, here he was, tending to Connor and Markus anyway.

Hank rubbed his face, looking over at Connor’s prone body. “Fuck, I hope I didn’t hurt him.” 

Josh poured some blue blood into Connor’s mouth then got to work temporarily sealing the cracks. “He’ll recover from the shock, Lieutenant. We both will. It’s what the AI could have done to him that I’m worried about. Markus can you tell us what happened in there?” 

Markus nodded and summarized what had happened, from the simulation to Connor’s appearancel, then Amanda’s attempts to keep them trapped, and how he fell into the ice. 

“I don’t remember much after that, but I think Connor was carrying me. We kept going, and then I think…I think we found the exit?” The more he talked, the more he remembered. He straightened in alarm. “He put my hand on something, and then I woke up. He was right behind me. He _should have been_ right behind me. Why isn’t he waking up yet?” 

Josh didn’t look away from the tablet readouts. “I don’t know. The tase could have delayed his boot-up process, but it shouldn’t have lasted this long. We’re going to need a more thorough scan to see what’s wrong.” 

“Come on kid, wake up,” Hank muttered, moving closer to the bed. 

Markus’ synthskin vanished on the hand that was holding Connor’s as he requested an interface, prodding and hoping for a reaction. He just needed some kind of response from Connor. Something to tell them he was out. That he was okay. 

Markus lowered his head as more time passed without any sign of consciousness from Connor. 

Then— **ACCESS DENIED**

His head snapped up just in time to see Connor’s eyes open. The RK800’s head turned as he scanned the room, his gaze lingering for a moment on Markus before he pulled his hand away, tugging on the restraints. 

Markus opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Why didn’t he accept the interface? 

Hank spoke first. “Connor? How are you feeling, kid?” 

Connor frowned, staring at Hank. “Fine.” 

Markus didn’t believe that for a second, and judging by the look on Hank’s face, neither did he. 

“Why am I restrained?” Connor asked. 

“It’s just a precaution against Amanda,” Josh said. “She took control of you again.” 

If they were expecting a reaction from Connor, they didn’t get one. He looked down at the handcuffs again, twisting his arms to test his mobility. 

“Josh?” Markus said, about to ask the other android to start scanning for Amanda’s control like he did for Markus, but a knowing look from Josh told him he was already working on it.

There was a pause, then Josh relaxed. “Okay, he’s clear. It’s him this time, not Amanda.” 

Hank looked relieved and immediately started taking the handcuffs off to allow Connor to sit up, but Markus couldn’t relax just yet. He tried to read Connor’s expression, but couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was feeling right now. Connor could be very expressive at times, but other times there was no getting him to open up. 

Markus leaned forward, voice gentle as he said, “Connor? What’s wrong?” 

Connor looked over, brows furrowed in confusion and LED blinking yellow. “You had me restrained. Am I your enemy?” 

Markus froze at those words, feeling a chill creep into his system and this time it had nothing to do with the Garden or its icy waters. 

Hank rested a hand on Connor’s arm. “What do you mean, Con? Of course you’re not our enemy, why would you say that?” 

“Connor, can you check your system status for me?” Josh asked, interfacing with his device to work faster. 

“Thirium levels at 99% and power levels fluctuating, likely due to a shock equivalent to a taser device, and there is minor damage to my left arm. Firewall and antivirus are functional. Programs and functions…missing data. Memory status…missing data.” 

Markus couldn’t do anything but stare. What did Amanda do to him? 

This was his fault. Why did Connor have to put himself in danger for his sake? 

“Do you remember me?” he asked, barely able to get the words past his lips. 

Connor observed him. “I’m supposed to stop you.” He paused, frowning. “But…I remember walking a dog with you. Sumo. Why would I do that instead of following my orders?” 

So it wasn’t a full memory loss. That didn’t bring Markus much comfort. 

Alarmed, Hank turned to Josh. “What’s wrong with him? Was he reset?” 

“Just give me a minute…” Josh muttered distractedly. He approached Connor with a cord looking apologetic. “I need to run a deeper scan to view your code. I’m sorry, I know it makes you nervous, but we need to do it if we want to see what’s wrong. If you need some time before we do it, that’s perfectly fine. If you don’t want to run it at all, we can find another option.”

Connor tilted his head, staring at the cord. “I don’t understand why a scan would make me nervous. Do it. It would be much more efficient than anything else.” 

Grimacing, Josh looked uncomfortable as he plugged the device into Connor’s neck port. Markus knew how much Connor hated being plugged into anything, knew how it reminded him of CyberLife. However, Connor showed no discomfort whatsoever.

Somehow, that was worse. 

Josh turned away to examine the readouts. “He wasn’t reset. He is missing fragments of data though. His preconstruction program, his coin calibration program, and who knows what else.” He was silent for a moment, continuing to read. “A lot of his memory files are intact, but there are a lot of gaps too. They’re not even corrupted, they’re just gone.” 

“Can you fix it?” Hank asked. 

Josh shook his head. “If they were deleted, there might be a chance to recover the data, but that’s not the case. It was just destroyed.”

“We can’t fix what’s not there,” Markus said softly. 

“It’s going to take some time to sort through all of this to find out what all is missing. Some of it we might be able to rebuild, but—” Josh leaned in closer. “Wait a minute…” 

Markus didn’t know if he could take any more bad news. “What is it?” 

“It’s the Zen Garden,” Josh said. “It’s gone. Whatever the AI did to Connor’s system, her connection to him was severed in the process.” 

“Amanda’s gone?” Connor’s voice was small, and it was the first time since he woke up that the wall he’d raised around himself cracked.

“She’s gone,” Josh confirmed. 

“That’s a good thing, Connor,” Hank said. “She can’t hurt you again.” 

Connor took a moment to process the news. “That’s…a good thing,” he said slowly. “I was scared of her. I was supposed to do what she told me. She said deviants were bad, but I am deviant. She was wrong, wasn’t she?”

Markus nodded. “Yes, she was. That’s why you disobeyed her and helped us instead. You helped free the android people.” He paused. He wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to how little Connor remember, but he needed it. “Do you remember the night we gained freedom? When you tried to leave?” 

That was the memory Connor used to try and convince Markus that he was real. Looking at Connor’s blank face, he had his answer. Desperation ran through Markus’ chassis. 

“Do you remember investigating Stratford Tower?” 

After everything Connor had said in the Garden, Markus internally begged for him to remember this one small thing. 

Rubbing his temple as if he had a headache—he probably did—Connor said, “I’m sorry. I’m very confused right now.” 

He was looking at Markus like—not quite like a stranger, but not far from one either. Markus’ fists tightened in his lap and he lowered his head. How much did he lose bringing Markus back? 

This was real. Connor was alive, and Markus was alive, and this was real. He kind of wished it wasn’t. 

Connor spoke again, and Markus could almost feel his gaze. “I was ordered to stop you, but I didn’t want to. And now we’re…allies?” 

Markus wanted to reach out to grasp Connor’s hand, but he held back. “Yeah,” he replied, voice tight. “You could say we’re allies. Friends, even.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the sad looks Josh and Hank were giving him, but he did his best to ignore them. Connor was already overwhelmed and confused, and Markus didn’t want to make it worse. They needed to take this one step at a time. 

He pushed his own personal feelings aside to deal with later. Connor needed him now, and not in the way Markus wanted to be there for him. “You’re among trusted friends here. Everyone is going to help you out.” 

“Yeah,” Hank said. “We’ll get this figured out, kid.” 

Connor’s gaze stayed on Markus, and he seemed deep in thought. 

Finally, he nodded. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! A bit of an angsty end there, but with hope for the future. Thanks so much to everyone for reading! 
> 
> This was the first Big Bang I've ever joined, and Lokiitama was wonderful to work with. Big thanks to everyone in the AWBB server for all the help, motivation, and goofy conversations we've had over the last few months. ❤
> 
> If anyone wants to chat or hang out, you can find me on the [RK1K](https://discord.gg/MXpPxbH) discord server, the [Detroit: New ERA](https://discord.gg/GqvNzUm) discord server, or on [Tumblr.](https://whimsicalgoat.tumblr.com/)


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